Stephen Chulak

Stephen Chulak is senior associate with the firm specializing in police law and litigation. He’s an experienced litigator who handles civil, criminal, administrative, and appellate work in both federal and state court jurisdictions. He is well-versed in defense of civil rights issues, excessive force, and assault under the color of authority.

He has worked with Michael P. Stone and Muna Busailah since 2000, commencing his legal career clerking for the firm while attending law school at Western State. While in law school, he received the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence in Trial Practice. He assisted in handling pre-trial work on several complex litigation matters including the infamous “Rampart CRASH” corruption cases, the “Margaret Mitchell Shooting”, and People v. Dan Riter involving a criminal indictment of a peace officer for an on-duty shooting.

Stephen primarily handles administrative cases from inception through trial, and has litigated police misconduct arbitration appeal cases, Board of Rights trials, civil service hearings, and Writs of Administrative Mandamus in Superior Court. At Stone Busailah, LLP, he has successfully litigated numerous termination and demotion cases involving allegations of dishonesty, excessive force, sexual harassment, insubordination, and multiple other department policy violations and Penal Code sections.

He also represents officers in off-duty criminal matters involving DUI, 647(f), Domestic Violence. He is well-versed in this area of the law and the detrimental affect these sections can have on an officer’s career. Stephen has also been successful in representing peace officers in civil litigation opposing attempts by civilians to obtain Temporary Restraining Orders, or Permanent Restraining Orders against officers prohibiting them from carrying a firearm.

Stephen holds an Academy Instructor Certificate from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, and joined our distinguished team of attorney-instructors in 2013 teaching internal affairs investigations and law to internal affairs investigators, supervisors, and command staff at the Center for Criminal Justice and Research at California State University Long Beach.

Stephen is a panel attorney for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, Los Angeles Police Command Officers Association, Fraternal Order of Police, and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. He responds to critical incidents involving officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths, and represents officers in Shooting Review Boards. He has vigorously represented peace officers from all over Southern California in internal affairs investigations during their interrogations. He has been successful in getting discipline suspensions reduced or completely dropped in countless Skelly hearings. Stephen is well known for his tenacity, and is among one of the most sought after police defense attorneys when it comes to administrative discipline matters.

Admission

• California
• U.S. District Court (C.D. Cal.)

Education

• Western State University College of Law (2005)
  Juris Doctor
• California State University, Northridge (2000)
  Bachelor of Science, Political Science